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TankHiker
03-01-2005, 14:40
Someone asked me this recently, so I thought I should pose this question to the group.

Suppose you are standing at a lonely road crossing, hitching a ride to/from town. A car pulls over, but as you approach the driver, you get a bad vibe. Your gut tells you not to accept this ride. How do you get out of it?

Is there a way to politely tell the driver that you have changed your mind and don't want his ride? Or do you forget about politeness and simply tell the driver you'll wait for the next ride?

I am just curious. This never happened to me, but I wondered what I would have done in this situation.

-Tank

Footslogger
03-01-2005, 14:51
Good question Tank ...I've yet to turn down a ride and I've gotten into a few cars and wished I hadn't. I think I'd do what you metioned and just thank the person but tell them you've decided to walk.

'Slogger

A-Train
03-01-2005, 15:19
Maybe the polite thing to do is to tell the driver you're still waiting for a friend

Tha Wookie
03-01-2005, 15:31
You could lie and tell them you just realized you forgot your camera back on the trail.

I don't do this, but I've heard of other people using this lie.

I just say, "no thanks, you're drunk!" Or I get in and hang on for the ride.

Youngblood
03-01-2005, 15:45
We just had this discussion a few weeks back: http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=7195&highlight=hitch .

Youngblood

Slaughter
03-01-2005, 17:11
I don't know if I would do this, but I saw someone else do it in 2003. The car pulls over and the hiker says "would you happen to have any cigarettes you'd be willing to sell?" The difference here is that the person was actually just looking for cigarettes, but it might work to get you out of a ride. But then, maybe you'd have to buy a cigarette. :sun

rocket04
03-01-2005, 21:16
Best thing to do if you're uncomfortable saying no is probably to just look at your pack or shuffle through a pocket and then say "****, where's my wallet?" or something along those lines. Then say sorry but you have to hike back into the woods and look for it.

Freeze
03-02-2005, 02:45
Just start talking to your imaginary friend! I'm sure he'll gladly leave!

Freighttrain
03-02-2005, 10:52
when a flatbed pulled over to give me and MissDirected a ride , i should have known better than to get in when the driver had to move mostly empty bottles of MD20/20 so we would have a place to sit... he fastened our packs to the bed with huge straps used to hold down cars! lol when he would turn his head towards us when he spoke, he would turn the wheel some which would cause the truck to swearve all over.... thought we were gonna die!


i swore that from then on i would decline if we saw anything that set off red flags...

oldfivetango
03-02-2005, 15:36
Ok,
I know we had this discussion sometime ago when i raised
the issue and got plastered by a few for not,how did they put it,
being man enough to just say "i've changed my mind?"In some parts of
Georgia you could get a can o' whuppass opened up with a line like that
by the way.
Anyway here's what i have sorta come up with:
1. Hitch with others-preferably females.
2. Do not flag a car with 2 or more men in it if you are alone so remember you need to have a good spot so you can see what's coming.
3.If someone stops unsolicited you can say you are a "hiker,not a
hitch-hiker" provided you don't like their looks.Or you are "waiting on someone who has a car and is on the way"
4.If you are desparate and they look "under the influence" just say-"you sure do look pale-mind if i drive?"A'int no drunk man going to let you do that.Try not to get run over when he pulls away.
5. If they look like a psychotic killer- remember,you want to drive.Aint no psycho going to give up control.Be alert until you get to town and join others.
6. In the event you are ever driving with some weirdo in the front
seat be sure to have on the shoulder belt.A windshield can be an awesome
weapon when you are belted and the psycho next to you ain't.
7. Take a self defense course-not a competitve martial arts course-learn
how to "fight dirty" if the need arises.It's your life yaknow so don't hesitate to protect it.
Cheers to all,
Oldfivetango:bse

ocourse
03-02-2005, 15:45
Why not simply tell the truth? "Thanks for stopping, but I have changed my mind" seems perfectly suitable to me.

oldfivetango
03-02-2005, 15:52
I don't know if I would do this, but I saw someone else do it in 2003. The car pulls over and the hiker says "would you happen to have any cigarettes you'd be willing to sell?" The difference here is that the person was actually just looking for cigarettes, but it might work to get you out of a ride. But then, maybe you'd have to buy a cigarette. :sun This reminds me of a story the GREAT southern comedian Jerry Clower
used to tell:
Marcell and Eudell are out hunting one night and Eudell has a lantern.When they get to the train track they see a locomotive coming so Eudell starts flagging that train in the middle of the night.That train locks the brakes all the way down. An irritated engineer climbs down out of the cab and wants to know what they want.
Eudell says"You wanna buy a fresh possum?"
The engineer about blows his top and says"You boys mean to tell me you
done went and stopped a 329 car bannana train to sell me a possum in the
middle of the night? You must be crazy! But since I HAVE stopped this big
old bannana train i reckon I will at least take a look at the possum.Let's see
what he looks like"
"Oh nawsah," says Eudell,"We ain't actually got no possum-we just wanted
to know if you would pay us to go catch you a good fresh one"
I reckon it would work for a hitch-hiker too.
Cheers to all,
Oldfivetango:bse